There Is No Such Thing As Trust
by Slythergrl2004
Summary: Jump City has been pretty quiet for a few weeks, and after a meltdown at the local nuclear power plant, Robin thinks that Slade could be back...but others aren't sure. Rated 'T' for language and sexual content. [DISCONTINUED]
1. Chapter 1

Okay…this is NOT my first fanfic but it is my first Teen Titans story. There are probably A LOT of errors in the story (with plot) because I started writing this story when I knew almost nothing about my now favorite TV show. So…if you do find one, please point it out to me in your reviews. Although I may not change it in the story…I most likely will remember it for future stories and writing. I DO NOT, repeat DO NOT accept flames.

Another thing I just remembered. There is a repetitive use of the same words in this story, only because I started writing this story while I was on vacation in Spain…so I did not have my Cable TV or my thesaurus on hand…but now that I am home…my writing should be better after chapter thirteen or so…yes…it took me two weeks to write thirteen chapters…

You are probably sick of my blabbing and my ranting so…on with the story.

Thanks for reading this story ,

Enjoy,

SG2004

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, they belong to Cartoon Network or the WB or whoever owns them. I DO own April Simmons and this plot.**_

**Chapter 1:**

_**September 3, 2007**_

_Dear April Simmons,_

_You are one of the few teenagers around the world who has been chosen to be one of the _Teen Titans.

_This is an opportunity of a lifetime and if it is turned down there is not a second chance to come back to it. We ask you make this decision wisely. We also suggest talking to your parents(s)/guardian(s) beforehand._

_You were chosen for this honor because of your combative and self-defense skill, and your intelligence and ability to think quickly in intense and dangerous situations._

_We hope you choose to join us and we await your decision._

_Thank you,_

_The _Teen Titans

* * *

**September 7, 2007**

_To whom it may concern,_

_I was thrilled when I received your letter, and I am happy to join your team._

_I have discussed this matter with my parents. After much discussion, they have agreed to let me go, but with the usual "rules", which include: Visits on holidays, birthdays and important occasions. I hope you agree to those terms._

_As for my clothing, I shall l bring my own clothing, and money to design and have a costume custom-made._

_Thank you once again for your kindness,_

_April Simmons_

* * *

**September 8, 2007**

_Dear April,_

_The clothing and costume is entirely included in your stay here at the Tower. A dormitory and some furniture is also included. But if you wish, you can bring your own lounging clothing and bedroom accessories. The decision is up to you. _

_We appreciate your decision and hop your stay here is enjoyable._

_Sincerely,_

_Robin _

_PS: The Tower is located on an island within the limits of Jump City. If your family or friends wish to send you letters or mail, I attached the post address. But for security purposes, all mail is first checked—just as a warning._

_PSS: Your arrival will be on the twenty-first of September, at seven o' clock in the evening . We are sending a private jet for your convenience._

_April Simmons was_ your almost average seventeen-year-old High School chick. She lived in a small town in the southern part of New York. She was on the cheerleading squad, the swim team, in the Art Club, Photography Club, got good grades in every class, and had a goo circle of friends from every clique.

As well as good friends and good grades, April had looks. Tan skin , dirty-blonde hair, and dark blue, with hints of violet eyes. She had a slim figure, was very flexible and very calm, collected and in control of her attitude and almost everything about herself.

The only not-so-normal things about April, were that she was a very good manipulator, but did not use these manipulative skills often, and that she was highly skilled in combative and self defense skills. She had a ten-degree black belt in Kung-Fu, Tai Chi, Aikido, Budakai, Kick-Boxing, and several others. She was also an instructor in Yoga.

April was highly respected by all. Her life was normal…until she got the letter.

* * *

Okay so…that's the end of the first chapter….Sorta boring, but it should get better. Here's another thing I'm starting to do…I'm starting to put songs at the end of chapters that have to do with the chapter in some way or anther so…here is the first one: 

"**I'm not just**

**An ordinary me**

**I've got my own**

**Individuality **

**Not the same**

**So why should I pretend **

**To only blend into the crowd**

**because**

**I don't want to be just typical**

**Only want to be original…and say**

**Never want to be just typical**

**Cause you write the world you live in**

**And I'm gonna do it my own way**

**Ay ya…ay ya…ay ya…ay ya…**

**My style is**

**Anything I like**

**I am myself**

**And I never compromise**

**Can't be her**

**But I can be the only girl**

**In all the world that's me**

**Because**

**I don't want to be just typical**

**Only want to be original…and say**

**Never want to be just typical**

**Cause you write the world you live in**

**And I'm gonna do it my own way**

**I could never be somebody**

**Else I know I never will**

**We're beautiful the way we are**

**And that's…never just…typical**

**I don't want to be just typical**

**Only want to be original…and say**

**Never want to be just typical**

**Cause you write the world you live in**

**And I'm gonna do it my own way."**

**-Raven-Symoné "Typical"**


	2. Chapter 2

**Feline Freak: Thank you for being the only decent human being on this cruel planet to actually review my story...**

**Mdizzle: Did you actually review this story because you read it or was it just to answer my review? I actually want to know what you people think of my stories...**

**okay...on with it...**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: This takes place 2 years in the future. (.i.e.: The characters are two years older than they were. And it takes place about a year and a half after The End.**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: (This applies to all following chapters)...I do not own the Teen Titans. They belong to the WB or Cartoon Network or whoever owns them. I DO, however, own April Simmons and this plot.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 2:**

Robin, founder of the Teen Titans, was sifting through the daily mail, seeing if anything interesting had come for him. The eighteen-year-old hero was incredibly bored. Jump City was silent of all crime and the other Titans were still sleeping.

It was noon on a Saturday on a warm day in the beginning of September. Saturday was the day the Titans normally slept in, but today, Robin was up early.

"Today..." Robin said to himself looking through the letters, "I'm going to answer fan mail." Robin stopped looking through the letters and rolled his eyes from behind the black and white domino mask that covered his eyes. "Damn, I forgot...we don't get fan mail. We get _every other_ type of mail..." Robin continued shifting through the mail and ranting to himself. "Junk, junk, more junk, water bill, electric bill, Internet bill, telephone bill, newspaper—I'll read that later...crap, more crap. Wow. We have _really_ hit the jackpot today with this exciting load of mail. BB's magazine, a reply from April, a load of bullsh—WOAH!" Robin stopped excitedly and picked up the letter. "A reply from April!"

Robin opened the the envelope and scanned April's letter. After reading it, he made a loud "whoop!" and grabbed scribbled his own reply. He jumped on his R-Cycle, which was parked in the garage, and sped through the underground passage. He stopped only to punch in a security code and then continued through the passage. He came out in the sunlight in a parking lot next to the city harbor. Robin stuck the letter in the mailbox, and raised the red flag, signaling a letter was in the box, waiting to be sent.

Robin turned and faced the harbor, admiring the beauty of the Titan's Tower and its reflection on the water. The island on which the Tower was built, was bright green with grass, and almost always looked welcoming. Robin sighed, hopped back on his bike, and rode back to the tower.

When Robin had returned, StarFire, the alien Titan from the planet, Tamaran, was sitting at the the breakfast table with a bowl of _Rice Krispies _sitting in front of her. Robin grabbed the _Frosted Flakes_, a bowl and a spoon and sat down across from StarFire.

"I guess you have found something most interesting in the mail this morning," StarFire said with a smile.

"How do you know?" Robin said taking a spoonful of StarFire's _Rice Krispies _and sticking it in his mouth.

'Well..." StarFire said taking a spoonful of Robin's cereal and doing the same. "I do believe that I am quiet sure that the daily post was scattered across the floor."

"Really?" Robin asked innocently.

StarFire laughed and leaned across the table and kissed Robin on the tip of his nose.

Robin placed his pointer finger underneath StarFire's chin and he moved her lips to his.

The kiss between the two Titans had only lasted a few seconds, when, Beast Boy, the Titan who had the ability to morph into any beast at will, walked into the room.

"Am I interrupting something in here?" Beast Boy asked quirking an eyebrow at the sight of the two making out at the breakfast table.

StarFire and Robin separated immediately at the sound of Beast Boy's voice. StarFire blushed pink, and Robin turned a deep shade of scarlet and rubbed the back of his head.

"Uhhhhh...maybe?" he said.

StarFire laughed as she got up from the table and put her cereal bowl in the sink. She passed by Robin, touching his shoulder as she left the room.

"Dude...when are you going to propose to her?" Beast Boy asked sitting down in StarFire's spot after making sure that she was gone.

Robin looked startled. "How did you know I was going to do that?" Robin questioned Beast Boy.

"I saw the receipt for the ring in the garbage last night," Beast Boy replied taking the _Frosted Flakes _from Robin, who took a spoonful of his own cereal.

"Shit," Robin muttered, "that was gonna be a surprise."

"Don't worry—can you pass the milk?—I haven't told her anything," Beast Boy reassured.

"I'm not worried about you telling anyone...I trust you...it's just that if you saw it, Star might have too," Robin said handing the milk carton to Beast Boy. Robin took a small, black box out of his pocket. He looked over his shoulder towards the doorway.

"Dude...is that the one ring to rule them all?" Beast Boy asked with a chuckle.

Robin nodded and opened the box.

Beast Boy gasped in amazement.

"Yeah, it is," Robin said.

"Man that is the largest stone I have ever seen."

"That's pretty close to what i thought when i saw it in the display window. Although, there was only the center stone when I first saw it," Robin mused.

"You had this thing _custom-made_! Jeez, just the diamond itself must've cost a fortune!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"I couldn't just buy a plain old diamond... it was too boring, too ordinary. I needed a one-of-a-kind diamond for a one-of-a-kind girl," Robin explained.

"Can I see it closer up?" Beast Boy said.

"Sure. Just as long as you don't take it out of the box, and as long as you don't touch it," Robin warned.

"Is there anything I can do with it?" Beast Boy said.

"Yeah. You can look at it," Robin answered handing the small box to Beast Boy.

The twenty-four karat heart-shaped diamond was mounted on a sixteen-karat white gold loop. The diamond was surrounded by red rubies and green emeralds.

"Wow...dude... I know this is rude but I just have to ask. How much did this thing cost?" Beast Boy inquired.

"Didn't you just say you saw the receipt?" Robin asked waving his spoon in the air.

"I said I _saw _the receipt. I didn't say I really actually _looked _at the receipt."

"Then how do you know I bought a ri—

"I saw the name and address of the jewelry store at the mall," Beast Boy interrupted.

"But how do you know it was me who—

"Because you are the only one I know here who would actually have a motive to shop there," Beast Boy interrupted again.

Robin shut up and did not ask any more questions.

"So, how much did it cost?" Beast Boy asked again.

Robin did not answer right away. "Seventy-five thousand," Robin said quietly.

Beast Boy fell off of his chair. "Shit! Robin, where'd you get that kind of money?" Beast Boy said climbing back onto the chair.

"After Cyborg and I finished building the tower, we had over three million dollars left. So I put it into an account for later use," Robin explained.

"I figured you had money left over from the tower, but where, my friend..." Beast Boy made a motion to the Tower around them, "...did you get the money to build this baby?"

"After I stopped working for Bruce Wayne..." Robin stopped in mid-sentence noticing the blank look sprawled across Beast Boy's face. "Batman," Robin said.

"Oh. Right," Beast Boy said his cheeks blushing a pinkish color.

"After I stopped working for _Batman_, I got lots...when I say lots, I mean LOTS...of donations from various groups, companies, factories, et cetera. I bought myself a different suit that was similar to my old one, but with pants—

"You're old suit didn't have pants?" Beast Boy said half laughing.

"I bought myself the R-Cycle..." Robin continued in a stern voice. "Built the Tower, and formed the Titans."

"That's so cool! But you haven't answered my first question," Beast Boy pointed out.

Robin was the one with the blank look this time. "And that was..?"

"When are you going to propose to Star?" Beast Boy repeated handing the ring box back to Robin.

"I really don't know. I haven't really thought about it that much. I have other more important things on the mind."

"What's more important that your Love Life?" Beast Boy asked.

"Finding—

"Oh, come on, Robin. Stop with that cock and bull. He's gone."

Robin sighed. "When the time is right, I'll propose to h—

"Morning guys," Cyborg, the Titan who was half robot, said walking into the room and strolling over to the refrigerator.

Robin slammed the black ring box shut and stuffed it into his pocket.

When the box slammed shut, Cyborg, who's head was inside the fridge, hit his head on the roof of the fridge.."What was that noise?" he asked rubbing his head where he bumped it.

"What sound?" Robin asked innocently.

"The sound of me snorting when you hit your head," Beast Boy suggested with a grin, coming to Robin's defense.

"Very funny..." Cyborg said sarcastically deciding on three egg-and-cheese sandwiches for breakfast.

Robin helped himself to a glass of milk.

Cyborg sat down next to Beast Boy.

"Hey, Cy? Does it make you feel weird that the city has been quiet all week?" Robin said.

"Nope. It gives me more time for video games."

"I'm with the Robot," Beast Boy chimed in.

"It just gives me a weird feeling," Robin continued, stirring his soggy _Frosted Flakes _ in a circle and then watching them float around the bowl.

Beast Boy shrugged.

Robin raised the glass of milk to his mouth—Then it began to glow black.

"Thanks for the milk," Raven, the witch Titan with telekinetic powers said floating into the room. The milk drifted to her hand and she took a sip from underneath her dark blue hood.

"That was mine," Robin muttered under his breath as he got up to retrieve another glass from the cabinet. When he got back, Raven had taken his seat. "That was _also_ mine," he grunted.

"You snooze you lose," Raven said with no enthusiasm.

"Yes, except I was up before all of you," Robin said in an undertone taking a seat next to Raven for the meantime.

"Robin, stop being paranoid. So what if the city is quiet. Gives you more time for you, instead of kicking someone else's ass," Cyborg said through a mouthful of egg and English muffins.

"Yeah, but I mean quiet. Not a single robbery. And I didn't see a single pigeon when I went downtown yesterday," Robin said noticing a look from Beast Boy.

"You went to the mall?" Raven asked looking up from a magazine that had floated over to her moments ago.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"You went to the mall," Raven repeated. "Why?"

"Hopefully to get a new outfit," Cyborg teased.

No one but Robin had noticed that Beast Boy was shaking his head slightly and was mouthing "you blew it".

Robin was smarter than Beast Boy took him for and was quick with his answer. "I went to the all because I was tired of being cooped up in here like a chicken," Robin replied.

Beast Boy looked relieved.

Robin's reply was only half true. Indeed, he was tired of being cooped up in the Tower. But he did not go to the mall for that reason.

Being cooped up in the Tower because there is no crime to fight is almost as boring as the time he broke his arm because he crashed his R-Cycle into a tower of the bridge on the east side of the city. He was pursuing a mad-man named Johnny Rancid.

With his broken arm, Robin was cooped up with Nosyarg Kcid, known as Larry by the Titans. Larry was Robin's little clone from dimension "four and nine eighths". Larry ruined everything. He turned the world into a cartoon universe, and the Titans, (with Robin's right arm in a cast), had to change it back to normal. That day was a distaste—

"Robin?" Beast Boy's voice rang through his thoughts.

"What?" Robin asked shaking the thoughts of the past from his head.

"Dude, y'okay? You sorta zoned out on us."

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about that time I broke my arm after my cycle accident, and how I was left to babysit Larry," Robin said with a chuckle.

The other Titans responded with laughter.

"Man, that little dude was a pain," Beast Boy said still laughing.

Robin pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. He collected his finished bowl and cup, and went around the table collecting Raven's, or his old milk glass, Cyborg's three plates and Beast Boy's cereal bowl. He stuck them in the sink and headed up the stairs.

"Something is different about the spiky-haired punk," Cyborg said when Robin was out of hearing range.

"Yeah. I noticed," Beast Boy said innocently.

"He's more possessive," Raven pointed out.

"Not quite what I was thinking," Cyborg said.

Raven thought a minute.

"More possessive?" said Beast Boy.

"He's not himself. He's more nervous...more cranky. Agitated more often by the smallest things making him more possessive," Raven suggested.

"Almost exactly what I was thinking," Cyborg said.

"Puberty?" Beast Boy cut in.

Cyborg hit him over the head.

"OW!" Beast Boy whined.

"Your welcome," Cyborg said heading over to the television. "Now where is that remote?"

* * *

**The wonderful song for this chapter:  
**

**  
**

"**We're the best of friends  
And we share our secrets  
She knows everything that is on my mind  
Oh...  
Lately something's changed  
As I lie awake in my bed  
A voice here inside my head  
Softly says...**

**Why don't you kiss her?  
Why don't you tell her?  
Why don't you let her see the feelings that you hid  
Cuz she'll never know  
If you never show  
The way you feel inside.  
**

**Oh, I'm so afraid to make that first move  
Just a touch and we  
Could cross the line  
Every time she's near  
I wanna never want her go  
Confess to her what my heart knows  
Hold her close...**

**Why don't you kiss her?  
Why don't you tell her?  
Why don't you let her see the feelings that you hid  
Cuz she'll never know  
If you never show  
The way you feel inside.**

**What would you say  
I wonder would she just turn away  
Or would she promise me  
That she's here to stay  
It hurts me to wait  
I keep asking myself...**

**Why don't you kiss her?  
Why don't you tell her?  
Why don't you let her see the feelings that you hid  
Cuz she'll never know  
If you never show  
The way you feel inside.**

**Why don't you kiss her (tell her you love her)  
Why don't you tell her (tell her you need her)  
Why don't you let her see  
The feelings that you hide  
Cuz she'll never know  
If you never show  
The way you feel inside...**

**Why don't you kiss her?"**

**-Jesse McCartney "Why Don't You Kiss Her?" **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** Sorry if the format of my story is retarded. The original document is in a professional style...y'know...with Tabs and single spaced paragraph breaks..? Sorry for the inconvenience.  
**

**Chapter 3:**

Robin stood in the bathroom, a comb in hand. His hair had lost its usual spike from the night before, and he intended to put it back. Robin picked up the bath towel on the floor and ruffled his hair with it.

Robin liked his hair dry before he spiked it, and because he had showered, his hair was slightly damp.

"Oh, well," Robin muttered unscrewing the top on his hair gel container. He looked up into the mirror and—

"AAH!" Robin yelped when he saw another face in the mirror other than his own. He dropped the container in surprise. "Crap..." he muttered and turned around. "StarFire do you have to be so quiet?" Robin said picking up the hair gel.

"Shhh..." StarFire whispered putting a finger on Robin's lips.

"I guess so..." Robin said bringing StarFire closer, grabbing her by the hips.

StarFire ran her fingers through Robin's damp hair and began to scratch the back of his head.

Robin smiled in pleasure and began to tap his steel-toed boot, making a clicking sound against the linoleum floor.

"You look similar to a small dog when you make actions like that," StarFire giggled putting her arms around Robin's neck.

Robin grinned and spontaneously began to waltz.

StarFire smiled and followed his lead.

"You're not a bad dancer, Star," Robin complimented giving her a smooth dip.

"The 'smooth dancing' does not belong to me, Robin. It is you who is doing the dancing. I am just doing the following," StarFire said resting her head on Robin's shoulder. "But you are not such a bad dancer, yourself," StarFire continued.

"Uh, why thank you, Star—

"_First _making out at the breakfast table, Now waltzing in the bathroom...what's next? Making love in the backseat of _Cyborg's _car?" Beast Boy exclaimed walking past the bathroom and noticing the two Titans.

"Beast Boy!" Robin and StarFire cried in unison.

Beast Boy put his hands up innocently. "It wasn't me who left the door wide open," he pointed out walking away.

Robin laughed and shook his head. "Luck just seems to be on our side today," he said kissing StarFire on the forehead.

StarFire grabbed his hand and left the room.

Beast Boy ran into the room. "Is the time now?" he asked eagerly.

"No," Robin stated running the gel through his thick, black hair.

"Oh man! Why not?" Beast Boy whined.

"Because you only asked me the same question an hour ago."

"But—

"No 'buts'," Robin said combing his hair into a spike.

Beast Boy frowned and slumped out of the room, then he turned around. "What did you find in the mail this morning?" he asked.

"What makes you think I found something?" Robin said mysteriously admiring a pointy spike he had put together..

"It was scattered all over the floor," Beast Boy explained.

Robin smiled in spite of himself, sharpening a spike. "Yeah... I got a reply from April."

"And..."

"She and her parents agreed."

"That's great!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is," Robin said with little enthusiasm.

"Do you think she is gonna be hot?" Beast Boy asked after a minute.

"_Leave_!" Robin demanded spinning around and chucking his towel at Beast Boy.

Beast Boy ducked but the towel hit him in the face anyway. "I suspect you want me to put this in the laundry."

"Please and thank you," Robin said.

Beast Boy left the room and did not come back.

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**I don't think there was really a better song that I knew of that described this chapter. If you don't like the song and you think it doesn't fit...Well...tough.**

"**Seaside whenever you stroll along with me  
I'm merely contemplating what you feel inside**  
**Meanwhile...  
** **I ask you to be my Clementine  
****You say you will if you could but you can't****  
I love you madly  
****Let my imagination run away with you gladly**  
**A brand new angle  
****Highly commendable  
****Seaside rendezvous**  
**  
I feel so romantic  
****Can we do it again?  
****Can we do it again sometime  
****I'd like that  
****Fantastic...  
****C'est la vie mesdames et messieurs  
****And at the peak of the season**  
**The Mediterranean  
****This time of year it's so fashionable**  
**I feel like dancing in the rain  
****Can I have a volunteer?**  
**Just keep right on dancing  
****What a damn jolly good idea  
****It's such a jollification as a matter of fact  
****So 'tres charmant' my dear  
** **  
Underneath the moonlight  
****Together we'll sail across the sea**  
**Reminiscing every night  
****Meantime...  
****I ask you to be my Valentine  
****You say you'd have to tell your daddy if you can  
****I'll be your Valentino****  
We'll ride upon an omnibus and then the casino  
****Get a new facial ****Start a sensational**  
**Seaside rendezvous  
****So adorable  
****Seaside rendezvous**  
**Ooh...**  
**Seaside rendezvous  
****Give us a kiss!"**

**-Queen "Seaside Rendezvous"**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

April Simmons, her parents and her younger brother were waiting anxiously at the airport, for the plane to arrive. The twenty-first of September had arrived.

April's mother was ranting on about how proud she was that her daughter was becoming a Titan, and that how she knew April's skills would get her somewhere in life. Her mother was also ranting about how it would be hard the first couple of weeks.

April was not listening to anything her mother, or anyone else, as a matter of fact, was saying. April was too excited, too nervous. She was hugging a backpack to her chest and sitting on one of the two suitcases filled with "necessary" items.

The sound of a jet engine made April look up from the rock she was studying.

A small twin-engine jet plane taxied down runway number nine, up to the gate. There was an image of a "T-shaped tower", and on the tail of the plane, two T's were painted diagonal from one another: one red, one black.

The door to the jet slid open and a small staircase unfolded outward from the doorway.

"I guess it's time to go," April said after a minute, gathering the suitcase she was sitting on a moment ago.

April's father took the other.

"Now don't forget to write and send a postcard!" April's mom said to her while April was suffering one of her mom's monstrous bear hugs.

"Mom...I am _working _in Jump City, not going on vacation there. Now, can you _please_ LET GO! You're crushing me!" April said.

April's mom looked down at her daughter. "Oh, sorry...Now remember what I said."

April sighed. "Call on occasion, visits or visit on Christmas, Easter and Birthdays, and most important: _no boys_," April said with a roll of her blue eyes.

"Right."

"But...please, do I have to live with 'boy' rule? I'm old enough for a boyfriend," April complained.

"Yes," April heard her father say.

April's mother leaned in to whisper something in her daughter's ear. "Find a cute one," her mother said.

April giggled. "Thanks mom," April said being the one to give the hug this time. April walked over to her brother. She squatted down, hugged him and ruffled his light-brown hair.

"Bye, Ape," he snorted. "Bring back bamboo."

"Those are pandas, genius," April said with a smile. She moved over to her father.

"Bye kiddo. Have fun...but _not _with boys," April's father warned.

April exchanged a glance with her mother, who covered her mouth to stiffle a laugh.

April climbed the stairs and waved to her family. When she was inside the plane, the door closed. April took a look around. There were twelve seats in six rows of two. Three sets on each side of the plane. There was a large, plasma screen television towards the front, a soda machine, and a snack counter.

"I could get used to living like this," April said grabbing a _Diet Coke_, an apple and one of the TV listing guides, and sitting down in a seat near the window.

The engines fired up and the plane lurched forward as it started to move. Then it stopped. Traffic.

"Damn," April muttered taking a glance out of the window, noticing three, much larger jet planes ahead of them. April assumed they were seven-forty-sevens. April looked in the opposite direction and saw her family still standing there, watching the plane.

Then something occurred to April. That might be the last time she would ever see her family. She could be killed in combat...or the plane could crash...or... The whole thought filled her with fear. Tears came to her eyes. She was leaving her family.

Something else drove the thoughts from her head.

The airplane had begun to vibrate and she knew something was about to happen. And it did. The plane did not taxi down the runway like all of the other planes, it lifted up into the air and shot forward so fast, April was pressed back into her seat. The plane flew over all of the other planes that were waiting for their turn.

"At least I don't have to worry that much about air traffic," April muttered popping open her can of soda and turning on the massage option on her arm chair.

"Now this is first-class flying," she said turning on the television and browsing through the list of "on demand" movies. April selected "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock. She hit the PLAY button.

April sat back and waited anxiously for the plane ride to end.

* * *

**I think that this song is definitely one of the perfect, if not, the perfect song for this chapter...tell me what you think.**

"**In the early mornin' rain  
With a dollar in my hand  
And an aching in my heart,  
And my pockets full of sand  
I'm a long way from home,  
And I miss my loved one so  
In the early mornin' rain  
With no place to go.**

**Out on runway number nine,  
Big seven-o-seven set to go  
But I'm out here on the grass  
Where the pavement never grows  
Well the liquor tasted good  
And the women all were fast  
There she goes my friend,  
She's rollin' down at last.**

**Hear the mighty engine roar,  
See the silver wing on high  
She's away and westward bound  
Far above the clouds she'll fly  
Where the mornin' rain don't fall  
And the sun always shines  
She'll be flyin' o're my home  
In about three hours time.**

**This old airport's got me down,  
It's no earthly good to me  
Cause I'm stuck here on the ground,  
Cold and drunk, as I might be.  
Can't jump a jet plane...  
Like you can a freight train  
So I'd best be on my way  
In the early mornin' rain.  
So I'd best be on my way **

**In the early mornin' rain."**

**-Peter, Paul, and Mary "Early Mornin' Rain"**


	5. Chapter 5

**Dusk66: ****Here's that update!**

**Darknightofspira:****Glad you like it! See you at lunch!**

**Feline Freak: ****I'm just hoping you understand this story.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5:**

The plane began its decent from thirty-three thousand feet about three hours and fifteen minutes after its departure from the airport.

April awoke from a snooze and admired the pink, purple and orange clouds, as well as the navy-blue sky.

The plane was rapidly descending and it was moving very fast at a low altitude. April swore her heart was pounding as fast as the plane was moving.

April felt the plane slow down as the plane submerged from a cloud. She looked out of the window and saw the twinkling lights of a large, coastal city far below. April could also see a small area of light, just off the shore.

"Titans Tower..." April whispered in excitement as the plane turned to the left.

The plane hovered just above the Tower and slowly lowered itself to the landing pad. The engines whined as the wound down.

April could hear the hiss and groan of the settling plane as she gathered her belongings.

XXXX

Robin was fidgeting with various items of clothing. Flattening wrinkles from his pants, adjusting his utility belt, making sure his mask was centered. He had even asked StarFire to iron his suit and cape. She agreed to do so, but first asked him why he couldn't do it himself.

The door of the plane slid open, the stairs folded out and a dirty-blond haired and tanned girl stood at the top.

"Woah," Cyborg said from behind Robin.

Beast Boy released a long whistle.

The girl set down her backpack and stepped back into the shadow of the plane.

StarFire who was standing to Robin's left, gave him a questioning look.

Robin just shrugged.

The next thing Robin knew about this girl, was that she was very daring. She took a flying leap out of the plane, did three front flips and landed in front of the Titans.

"Nice," Beast Boy mused.

There were five Titans. Three boys and two girls. The boy in front had a red and green suit that hugged his body _very _well. He was strong with large calf muscles and biceps. He had dark hair and a mask that covered his eyes. A black and yellow cape was drooped over his shoulders. A yellow "R" was inside a black circle on the left side of his suit. A mysterious Titan with a secret hidden within him. A surprise secret.

"April Simmons," April introduced sticking out her hand. "And you must be Robin," April assumed warmly. "Pleasure to meet you at last."

"All the same," Robin said smiling. "Your moves are very impressive. We were stunned. Welcome to the team."

"Thanks...I know that one simple word, or anything as a matter of fact, isn't enough to thank you for this gift you have given me," April said releasing her hand from Robin's firm grip.

"There is no need to be thanking us. It is _us _who should be thanking _you_," Robin told her.

"No need," April said raising an eyebrow, "I'm taking you all out for pizza tonight. I feel the need to do something useful my first day."

"I like the way this girl thinks," Cyborg said.

The girl next to Robin smiled pleasantly. "Hi... My name is—

"The name's Beast Boy," the green Titans said appearing suddenly in front of April he grabbed her hand and lightly kissed it.

April blushed and laughed. "He's quite the Charmer. Nice to meet you too."

The long red-haired girl cleared her throat and pushed Beast Boy to the side. "My name is StarFire. I am happy to make your acquaintance," she said.

April's eyes darted to Robin, who noticed her look.

"Star is a Tamaranian," Robin said.

"Oh, right!" April's face brightened.

"She is the strongest of all of us. Not in terms of power, but physical strength."

"That's cool!" April said looking to StarFire who did not look so strong.

"Oh! Speaking of strength, can you put the plane away, Star?" Robin asked.

"Yes." StarFire ran to the plane and took April's luggage out of the doorway, and the doorway slid shut.

To April's amazement, StarFire pushed the plane to the other end of the Tower with her own _two hands_. Then, the plane disappeared beneath the rooftop. When it had vanished from sight, StarFire _floated _back to the group and entwined her fingers in Robin's.

_Tonight_, Robin said to himself.

_Oooh...Boyfriend and girlfriend_, April thought. "That was amazing!" April exclaimed.

Robin chuckled. "I _did _say she she was the the strongest of us all."

"Yes, you did. I just didn't think she was _that _strong," April said.

"Okay, so that's Cyborg..." Robin pointed to the robot-like African-American boy standing towards the back. "And Raven..." Robin said pointing to the girl who looked Gothic, wearing a dark blue cloak that covered her face.

"Enchanted," she said sounding bored. "Advice. Don't laugh at Beast Boy's jokes. They're not funny."

Beast Boy stuck his tongue out and headed towards the stairs. Cyborg took one of April's suitcases and StarFire took another. Everyone started after Beast Boy, except for April, who stayed back to chat with Robin.

"April, come on! I'll show you to your room," Cyborg said.

"One sec!" April called to him and walked over to Robin, who was leaning on the railing on the roof, gazing out upon the Pacific Ocean in the quickly advancing twilight.

"Tamaran?" April said appearing next to him.

Robin looked startled

"Yeah," he said not looking at her.

April put her hand on his shoulder and she felt him shudder. "What are you thinking about?" April asked.

"Please don't touch me like that," Robin said still staring out at the horizon.

April removed her hand. "I'm sorry," April said. "So...Tamaran? Is that even a country?" I've never heard of it." April took out a palm pilot out of her pock and selected the GOOGLE search engine option, and typed in "Tamaran".

"Wireless Internet palm pilot?" Robin asked. "Your family must be wealthy if they can afford something like that for just you alone."

"Yes, my family is slightly wealthy. But we're not millionaires. I got it for my seventeenth birthday. I got my your letter on my birthday. Did you know that it was my birthday? That was the best gift anyone's ever given me," April said.

"We meant to give it to you on your birthday," Robin said noticing April give her palm pilot a look.

"Huh."

"What?" Robin asked looking at her for the first time since she had spoken to him.

"No results are shown for Tamaran," April said.

"It's not a country," Robin said bluntly.

April waited.

"It's a planet."

"StarFire's an _alien_?" April asked shocked.

"Alien is such a negative word," Robin said. "But yes, she is."

"I didn't think we had found a planet that had other inhabitants...humans as a matter of fact."

"Her being an alien, we kept a secret, to avoid testing from the government. We just said she was born with her powers, like her super strength and her ability to shoot 'star-bolts' and whatever else she can do," Robin said with an irritated tone.

_He's nervous about something_, April thought. "Okay. I was just wondering. I'll leave you to you thinking," she said and walked away.

The other Titans were waiting patiently in the hallway and discussing where they wanted to go for pizza that night, when April came around the corner.

"Ah, finally... we were starting to wonder—

"Uh...Star?" Robin voice came from StarFire.

Everyone looked at her.

StarFire pulled out a yellow walkie-talkie with a black "T" in the center. "Yes, Robin? Do you require assistance?" StarFire asked pushing the TALK button.

"Can I talk to you...on the roof?" Robin said

"Uh, sure," StarFire said unsurely. "I'll be right back," she told the other Titans and headed to the stairwell.

Beast Boy was trying hard to keep a straight face. "Put your stuff in here for now!" Beast Boy demanded quietly throwing open a closet door and stuffing April's suitcases and backpack inside.

"We have five minutes...maybe less," Beast Boy said shutting the door.

"Are you sure this is going to work? Are you sure this even it?" Raven asked.

"Yes! He was so obvious if you payed attention to him. His voice cracked and the look on his face before on the roof! Yes, I'm _positive_."

"I thought you said his voice cracking could be _puberty_?" Raven mocked

"Could someone _please _tell me what is going on?" April whined.

"Cyborg will explain everything to you on the way," Beast Boy said running to retrieve something from his room.

Cyborg grabbed April's wrist. "We don't have a lot of time," he said pulling her along behind him.

The roof was quiet when StarFire found Robin. He was leaning on the railing, now facing the ocean. The last glow of the sunset illuminating his face.

"You had wished to talk to me," StarFire said putting a hand on his arm.

"Yeah," Robin said facing her. He took her hand gently and—

Click.

"Did you hear that?" Robin asked.

"Hear that?"

"Nothing," Robin said shaking his head.

"Okay..." StarFire said.

Robin began to dance as the first rays of moonlight began to reflect on the water.

Click.

Robin looked in the direction of the sound but saw nothing, so he continued to dancing.

The couple glided across the rooftop, the full moon, stars and lights from the harbor being their only light.

_Romantic..._ StarFire thought gleefully.

"Star?" Robin asked touching her cheek. He had stopped dancing.

"Robin, please do not tell me we are finished. I mean with the everything in this relationship," StarFire said quietly squeezing Robin's hand slightly harder.

"Star, actually, I'd like to..." Robin paused. "I'd like to talk to you about taking it one step further..."

StarFire looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Robin reached into his pocked and pulled something out.

StarFire could not see what it was.

"Remember when you said you would like to maybe find a groom on Earth, instead of marrying that...creature on Tamaran? The groom that your sister, BlackFire, had arranged to earn herself a powerful gem?"

StarFire nodded reluctantly.

Robin got down on one knee.

"StarFire..." Robin said opening a small black box. Inside the box lay a large diamond, emerald and ruby ring.

StarFire gasped. "Robin..." She asked, breathlessly.

"StarFire...will you marry me?"

Click.

Robin ignored it. He was too busy waiting for StarFire's answer.

"Nothing..." StarFire said with tear glistening in her eyes.

Robin was frozen with fear.

"Nothing in the world, or any world, would make me happier!" StarFire blurted with happiness.

Click.

Robin slipped the ring onto her finger and leaped up. He kissed her, and this time, there was no Beast Boy to interrupt.

Click.

Robin spun StarFire in a circle, the moonlight dancing in her eyes.

There was only the two of them, the moon, the Tower, the city lights, and the ocean mattered. They were what made the evening perfect, what made the moment.

Robin and StarFire broke apart and StarFire threw her arms around Robin and embraced him in a tender hug.

"Thank you, Robin," StarFire said with tears of joy in her eyes again. "You have just made me the happiest person in the world."

Click.

Flash.

"Shit! I forgot to shut off the flash that time," Beast Boy's voice echoed across the rooftop.

Beast Boy stood up from a pile of spare "T-Sub" parts.

"BEAST BOY!" Robin shouted angrily.

"Robin..?" StarFire said.

"YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" Robin roared grabbing StarFire.

"Can I be a vegetable instead? I am a vegetarian after all...Uh oh...I guess I better run now," Beast Boy said grabbing his camera and sprinting down the stairs, Robin and StarFire not far behind.

Beast Boy turned down a dark corridor and he could hear StarFire and Robin's footsteps. Beast Boy ran into the first room he saw: The Titan's living room/observatory. The lights weren't on and he didn't have time to turn them on.

"Bingo," Beast Boys said. "Got 'em."

Robin and StarFire burst into the room.

"Robin, can you please—

The lights switched on.

"SURPRISE!" Cyborg, Best Boy, Raven and April shouted.

StarFire blinked her green eyes.

Robin blinked from behind his mask. "This whole thing...Beast Boy taking the pictures...me getting angry...me chasing him...It was all part of a _plan_?" Robin asked reading a banner hanging from the ceiling which read "Happy Engagement".

"Yeah, _my _plan," Beast Boy said proudly. "And a genius one I must add.

"I thought you said you didn't tell anyone," Robin said crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"I said I didn't tell _her_," Beast Boy said motioning towards StarFire.

"He wouldn't have told us if we hadn't forced him into it," Cyborg said. "We knew he knew something about you that we didn't."

"It was right after you showed me the ring," Beast Boy told Robin. "We had a discussion about you and how you are different—or seem different."

"We knew he was keeping something from us. And we threatened to trash his moped if he didn't share it," Raven said. "Or, I threatened."

"Come one, what are we waiting for? The pizza's getting cold!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Robin took StarFire's hand, and StarFire smiled in return.

"Let's party!"

* * *

**WOOT WOOT! Chapter Finished! I hope you all enjoyed that chapter.**

"**I wanna give every part of you the attention it deserves  
I want to take it slow get you in the mood  
Cuz the clocks not gonna turn  
We've been waiting for a couple of weeks  
And I know we shouldn't rush  
There's no one here but us**

**I don't want this to die  
Don't want to ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time  
Let's take our time**

**Something so right when I hold you  
I don't want to ever let you go  
When you whisper in my ear  
All the things you want to do  
This sensation starts to grow  
I dreamt about it every day and night  
Never thought that it'd come true  
Now its just me & you**

**I don't want this to die  
Don't want to ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time  
Let's take our time**

**I don't want this to die  
Don't want to ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time**

**I don't want this to die  
Don't want to ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time  
Let's take our time**

**Let's take our time  
Let's take our time****  
Let's take our time."**

**-Ryan Cabrera "Let's Take Our Time"**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Robin was munching happily on a slice of cheese pizza. "How did you know I was gonna do it?" he asked Beast Boy, who took a large gulp of lemonade.

"Because the Beast knows," Beast Boy said jokingly.

"No. Seriously," Robin said.

"Because the Beast knows," Beast Boy repeated. "I saw the look on your face when StarFire took your hand on the roof..._ And _I heard your voice crack when you called her on the communicator."

Robin laughed and grabbed Beast Boy and put him in a headlock.

"Hey—

"KNOOGIE!" Robin declared pressing his knuckles into his victim's scalp.

"Robin! Let me—

Robin released Beast Boy.

"Thank you," Beast Boy muttered gratefully.

"No. Thank _you_," Robin corrected.

"For what?" Beast Boy asked confused.

"For everything. The party...everything. Except maybe the disturbance."

"No prob."

"But I don't think i should have gotten so mad," Robin said guiltily.

"All part of the plan," Beast Boy said.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You're lying."

"Nope."

Robin laughed and walked over to his fiancé. "How are you?" he asked her.

StarFire smiled, took his hand and kissed him on the cheek. "I have never felt better. How are your emotions treating you?"

Robin kissed her on the lips. "I'm in heaven."

XXXX

Cyborg and Raven watched Robin and StarFire from a corner of the room.

"Don't the look good together?" Cyborg asked Raven.

"Cute..._very _cute," answered Raven in her usual, bored tone.

"Whatever..." Cyborg said walking over to the table to get another slice of pizza.

XXXX

April was on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the television. "One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand—

"Hey," Robin said plopping down beside her.

"Hey," April returned in a monotone voice.

"You know...I thought you would be more social than this."

"I'm just tired. Plane trips always make me tired. I guess I'm not immune to jet-lag. I fell asleep on the plane," April said absent-minded with a yawn.

"You fell asleep in the air?" Robin said.

"What? Who told you?" April questioned turning her eyes upon Robin.

"The plane."

"The plane talks?"

"No. You just said you took a nap on the plane."

"Oh."

"Are you really so tired that you can't remember what you just said?" Robin asked.

"I don't want to be rude."

"And sitting in front of the TV during an engagement party isn't rude?"

"Very funny."

Robin stuck his thumbs in his ears and stuck his tongue out.

"What are you doing?" April asked with a giggle.

"Being funny," he replied.

"Well, it worked," April said getting up. She turned off the television.

"Going to bed?"

"Yeah. Oh, and congratulations," April said patting him on the shoulder.

"I thought I told you not to touch me like that," Robin said.

"Woah, sorry," April said putting her hands up in surrender and stepping out of the room.

Robin stared after her, but then Beast Boy's figure blocked his view.

"Dude...she's hot," Beast Boy said. "Don't you think?"

"You just threw an engagement party for me because StarFire and I are going to get married. Am I honestly supposed to answer that question?"

"Dunno. That's up to you. It was a standard question."

"There's something about her I don't like...something that makes me uncomfortable," Robin said quietly.

"Paranoid," Beast Boy muttered under his breath.

Robin stood up and headed to the food table. Beast Boy followed and handed Robin a crystal glass.

"What's this for?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy answered his question with a loud pop from the top of a sparkling white grape juice bottle, and then raised it into the air.

"To Robin and StarFire. May they be forever together."

Everyone else raised their glasses and repeated Beast Boy's words.

StarFire turned to Robin, eyes twinkling. "Forever," she said raising the glass and clinking it with Robin's.

"_Forever_," Robin whispered and down the drink.

* * *

**Short Chapter! Sometimes they annoy me, sometimes they are helpful, and sometimes they have nothing to do with the story, which is not this case.**

"**Celebrate good times, come on  
Let's celebrate  
Celebrate good times, come on**

**There's a party goin' on right here  
A celebration to last  
Throughout the years  
So bring your good times  
And your laughter too  
We gonna celebrate your  
Party with you**

**Come on now, Celebration  
Let's all celebrate  
And have a good time  
Celebration  
We gonna celebrate  
And have a good time**

**It's time to come together  
It's up to you, what's your pleasure  
Everyone around the world  
Come on!**

**Celebrate good times, come on  
Come on, It's a celebration  
Celebrate good times, come on  
It's a celebration  
Celebrate good times, come on  
Celebration, Come on and celebrate  
Celebrate good times, come on!  
Celebration, come on and celebrate**

**We're gonna have a good time tonight  
Let's celebrate, it's all right  
We're gonna have a good time tonight  
Let's celebrate, it's all right**

**It's time to come together  
It's up to you, what's your pleasure  
Everyone around the world  
Come on!**

**It's a celebration  
Celebrate good times, come on! celebration  
Celebrate good times, come on!  
celebration  
Celebrate good times, come on!  
Celebration."**

**-Jump5 "Celebrate"**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

"Rise and shine, April," Robin said in her ear.

April opened her eyes. "What time is it?" April asked looking at her watch.

"Six-thirty AM."

April groaned and pulled the blankets over her head. "Five more minutes."

Robin pulled the blankets down from her face. "Now."

April groaned again, rolled out of bed, then looked at Robin. "You're fully dressed. What time did you get up?"

"At six o' clock."

"Why so early?"

"You didn't think being a Titan would be a walk in the park, did you?"

"No, but—

"Boot camp," Robin said with an evil grin, "starts now."

"Goodie," April muttered. "You can stay if you want...but I'm getting dressed either way," April said, her hands grabbing the bottom of her night shirt.

Robin turned around.

"Your staying?" April asked in surprise.

"I won't look," Robin said with his back to her. "We just need to talk." Robin heard a drawer open.

"Okay..."

"I'm sorry I got so mad at you for touching me on the shoulder. It was rude of me. It was just a friendly gesture."

"You could say that," April said.

Robin wondered why those words confused him. "Everyone says I'm slightly paranoid. And after last night, I'm starting to agree with them," Robin continued.

"Okay, forgiven," April said.

Robin heard a snap, and he rolled his eyes. "Is it possible to pick up the pace?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Have _you _ever tried putting on a bra?"April asked him.

Robin heaved out an impatient sigh. "Just hurry up."

"You haven't answered my question."

"No," Robin told her.

"You should try one on sometime. One would look good on you," April teased.

Robin slapped his forehead and left the room.

Five minutes later, April came down the stairs in dark blue knit shorts and a white tank top.

"Finally," Robin said. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"What about breakfast?" April questioned.

Robin threw a granola bar at her.

"That's it?"

"Its not healthy to train on a full stomach. You can have something bigger when we are done," Robin said.

"When are we done?"

"Whenever we're finished with whatever we have to do. It all depends on you."

April groaned. "Where are the others?"

"Training," Robin said.

"Really?"

"_Yes_."

"What—

"StarFire and Beast Boy are having moving target practice. Cyborg is lifting weights."

"Okay. But that's not what I was going to ask."

Robin was the one to groan this time. "_What_?"

"I'm just playing. Just toying with you."

"Good."

"Robin?"

"_What_?"

"Where are we training?"

"Not here, if that's what you mean."

"Robin?"

"_What_?"

"Where—

"In the basement."

"Then where are we training?"

Robin looked confused. "What?"

"I was asking where the others were training and you said 'In the basement'. So where are we training?"

"I got confused. StarFire and Beast Boy are doing a target course outside. Cyborg is in the weight room. _We _are training in the basement."

"In the basement? The dark and scary basement? I was told I wasn't allowed to go down there."

"Where we are going is not the basement. It's a floor above the basement."

"You have two basements?"

"Sort of."

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome. Now can you _please _stop asking questions?"

"Yes...but why do I—

"Just stop talking altogether."

"Okay."

Robin led the way down eleven flights of stairs.

"With all the money left over from building Titans Tower, and buying StarFire a ring, you didn't build an elevator?" April asked.

"Oh, there's an elevator, but I did say this was training."

"You forgot to mention torture."

Robin cracked a smile. "It depends on your definition of torture."

"Fine, be that way," April retorted sitting down on the last stair.

"Tired already?" Robin said.

"No. But my ankles hurt. Walking downhill for an extended period of time causes me pain in my feet."

"Ever consider breaking them?" Robin inquired taking a seat next to April on the stairs.

"On purpose?"

"Yes. Because then you'll have a _real_ reason to complain," Robin joked.

April gave him a playful shove. "Jerk," she said laughing.

"I have a pain in my neck," Robin said.

April looked at Robin. "Really? Why?"

Robin was trying very hard not to laugh. She was so slow on the joke. Actually, slow on the truth. "Never mind." Robin stood up. "Follow me."

April followed Robin into a white room with mirrors, and bright florescent lights.

"Wait here," Robin ordered and walked into another room. He came back a moment later with a sea-green mat, which he flopped down on the floor in front of April.

"I feel like I'm in a hospital," she commented.

"Nope. It's worse. You're in the basement of Titans Tower... Now on all fours."

April did as Robin told her to do. "Now what/"

April felt Robin's foot on her back. It pushed her down on her so she was sprawled on her stomach.

"Push ups," Robin said with a sneer.

"You've got to be kidding."

"Nope," Robin said walking into the other room. He came out with another mat and flopped that one down so it was facing April's.

"Nope," he repeated, "one-hundred and fifty push ups."

April gaped at him.

"Fifty with tow hands, fifty with one hand, and fifty with weights under your hands. Not too hard, is it?"

April frowned. "I did not think it would be easy, but I did not think I would have to go through Mr. Boss and his One-hundred and fifty Push Ups of Doom."

"Don't worry...I'll do them with you. And besides, they'll get easier ever day," Robin reassured.

"Thanks, that's nice of— WOAH! _Every day_?"

"Except on Saturdays and Sundays."

"Do you actually have a life?" April asked him with relish.

"Yes, and I dedicated it to the Titans. Now! We begin! And I want to hear you counting out loud," Robin said taking off his cape and hanging it on a hook that was nearby.

Robin lay on his mat and began his push ups. He did them with little effort, or it seemed. His face didn't even turn red when he hit the one-hundred push up mark. And when he was finished, he had a minimal amount of sweat beads on his forehead.

Robin finished his push ups about ten minutes before April did, and to pass the time, he stood over her criticizing her exercises.

"Inhale when you come up and exhale when you come down," Robin said. "Your not coming down far enough."

"Do you need to critique everything?" April huffed face beet red. She wiped sweat from her eyes.

"Yes. Your butt is in the air," Robin pointed out.

"Isn't that what _you _want?" April asked in a exhausted breath.

"No. Your back need to be straight."

_Not quite what I meant..._ April thought completing her final push up.

"That wasn't bad for your first day," Robin complimented handing April a paper cup full of cold water from the nearby water cooler.

April glanced at him. "You're lying just to make me feel better."

"Being serious," Robin said taking a small sip from his own cup.

"Okay, great. We're finished with that. Now what do we do?"

She felt Robin's foot on her back again and it flattened her to the mat.

"What the—

"Fifty more," he grinned.

April rolled over onto her back so Robin's foot rested on her stomach. S She grabbed the metal plating on the front of Robin's black, steel-toed boots, and jerked his let upward sharply.

Robin fell over in surprise. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

April got in his face. "I'm _not _doing anymore push ups _today_," she snarled quietly.

Robin grabbed her face with his green, gloved hand. "_That _time I was joking," Robin said releasing her.

"Good," she said. "What are we doing?"

"I want to see how good your skills really are."

"And how exactly do I do that?"

"Combat practice." Was his answer. "You're going to defend yourself against me."

"That's not fair! You've got bombs and stuff."

"I'm not going to use them. Your right it wouldn't be fair," Robin told her.

"Okay."

Robin handed her a mouth guard and a head guard, which April put on.

"When we are actually battling criminals..." Robin stopped in mid sentence. An odd feeling suddenly appeared in the pit of his stomach. It caused him fear.

"Yeh?" April said through her mouth guard.

"When we are actually battling villains...like Slade, our—my arch enemy...we won't be using these guards. We are on our own," Robin said with the fear still embedded in his stomach.

"'Kay."

Robin ignored the feeling and popped on his own gear. Then without giving April any warning, he threw a punch.

April caught his fist in her hand. "Nice try," she said with a sneer, twisting his arm and flipping him over.

Robin sat on the ground. He swung at her feet with his arm.

April jumped it and Robin jumped to his feet w.

"What's that?" April asked noticing a small silvery item in his hand.

"My fave toy," was his reply as a large pole grew out of his hand.

"You said—

"I said I would not use my bombs. And besides, liff isn't fair."

"If you wunt it that way..."

"Wha'?"

April grabbed onto his Bo Staff and swung herself underneath his open legs.

Robin turned around as one of Aprils roundhouse kicks contacted solidly with his shins. He fell to the ground trying to not let go of his pole.

Robin jumped to his feet and swung his pole.

April back flipped away from him...and crashed into the wall. Robin's pole pinned her to the wall. April squirmed and was unable to get away..

"You woose," Robin sneered stepping on the edges of April's sneakers so she was unable to kick his legs.

April spit out her mouth guard. "Not quite," she said slyly.

"What?"

Robin did not even see April's foot, but he felt it. Her let swung upward and her foot made a connection with his crotch.

"SHIT!" Robin yelled and dropped his pole in surprise.

April punched him down to the ground, and then she put him into a grappling.

"Should have thought of that," Robin squeaked biting his lip. He was thankful his mask covered his eyes, otherwise she would have seen the tears in his eyes from the pain.

"No, _you _lose," April said in his ear.

"Fine," Robin whispered still biting his lip, "we're done."

April got off of Robin, and tossed him his pole. "I'll be nice and let _you _take the elevator," she said taking off her head guard and walking to the stairwell.

"How did she get out from underneath my feet?" Robin asked himself and climbed to his feet with the help of his Bo Staff. He limped over to the elevator and pushed the UP button.

"I should have thought of that," he said again, and stepped into the elevator.

* * *

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I had to make one chapter to make April seem annoying. Writing those types of chapters is always fun...well, I think they are fun. Writing this chapter was also a challenge. This was one of the chapters I wrote in Spain. I used to take karate, and 6 years later, I'm writing a chapter about a girl and a boy who know Kung-Fu, and I don't remember any terms about the goddamn topic. (Sighs)...Maybe you readers who take karate could help me a little...**

I was making fun of myself and my house in this chapter too. The whole thing about the aching ankles...happens to me. And the whole thing about the dark and scary basement...is true. I have two basements. One is rotten because of termites, dark, cold, and scary...and old. Old being 165 years old. My other basement is about 1 year old. You probably don't care...  


**  
**

"**Well you think that you can take me on  
You must be crazy   
There ain't a single thing you've done  
That's gonna phase me   
Oh, but if you want to have a go  
I just want to let you know...  
YEAH!**

**  
Get off my back and into my game  
Get out of my way and out of my brain  
Get outta my face or give it your best shot  
I think it's time you better face the fact  
Get off my back!**

**You know it's all just a game that I'm playing  
Don't think that you can't find a way in  
That's what I'm saying  
Oh if you want to have a go  
I just want to let you know...  
OH!**

**Get off my back and into my game  
Get out of my way and out of my brain  
Get outta my face or give it your best shot  
I think it's time you better face the fact  
Get off my back! **

**Oh, but if you want to have a go  
I just want to let you know...  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
YEAH!**

**Get off my back and into my game  
Get out of my way and out of my brain  
Get outta my face or give it your best shot  
You know this train is coming off this track  
Get off my back!  
YEAH!**

**Get off my back!  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
Get Off!  
Get of my back!"**

**-Bryan Adams "Get Off My Back"**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

"So, how'd the the first day of training go?" Cyborg asked Robin when he got back from his own workout.

"Very well," Robin said sourly.

"That bad?"

"I said it went 'very well'. And I mean it."

"Then why are you acting like someone kick your ass after a match."

"Because someone did," Robin said. "Her. " Robin pointed to April who was on the other side of the room.

"The Rookie kicked _your _ass?" Cyborg asked in surprise, trying hard not to laugh.

"Yes. Except it wasn't my _ass_, it was my crotch," Robin said wincing at the thought.

Cyborg could not hold it in any longer. A snort escaped his nose and then he began to laugh. "Rookie! Nice job! You beat the master. He knows how it feels to lose now!" Cyborg called to April, who smiled sheepishly in return. Cyborg turned back to Robin, who was frowning.

"Thank you for announcing that," Robin muttered.

"No problem," Cyborg returned and walked away whistling happily.

Robin stalked out of the room and was heading up to his own when he ran into StarFire. "Hi," Robin said with a smile.

"I hear you got the butt-whooping today from April this morning," StarFire said playing with a few stray strands of Robin's hair.

The smile vanished from Robin's face. "Yes," Robin said again. "Unfortunately."

"Robin, do not feel bad. It is okay if you have lost a battle _once_. If she has defeated you, it means she is good. She is a good addition to the team. We need her."

Robin heaved out a long sigh. "I guess you're right," he said twirling a lock of StarFire's hair between his fingers.

"Good Boy, Robin," she said giving him a light kiss on the cheek. She turned to walk away—

"Star?"

StarFire turned to Robin again.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too," StarFire returned.

"I just want you to know that _whatever _I do, _whatever _I say...I will still love you." he told her.

StarFire smiled and began to walk away again. "Oh, and Robin?" She turned around to face him yet again.

"What?" Robin said with fake annoyance.

"I believe the phrase is... 'Jerk'."

"That's twice today. But yes?"

"We need to go through the wedding plans," StarFire said hesitantly.

"Tonight," Robin told her fixing his belt.

"Okay..." StarFire said. "Did you get a weird feeling this morning?"

Robin stopped dead.

"Did you?" she asked.

"Yes I did. In the pit of my stomach."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I happened to have been thinking about Slade."

Slade. A notorious villain that messed with your head—or had messed with Robin's head. He was a villain that seemed he could vanish and appear in places at will, and a villain that could haunt you. He stole Terra, an ex-Titan with the powers of moving earth, and made her his apprentice.

Terra turned on Slade, and threw him into a pit of lava. When throwing Slade into the lava, she conjured a volcano, and turned into stone trying to stop it.

Even though Slade was gone, he still haunted Robin. Robin fought him, even though Slade was only in his mind. And Robin hurt himself, even though Slade was gone.

Slade came back after that. He survived the lava, and he went after Raven. He tried to deliver a message, for his own benefit. After he had fallen into the lava, he had lost his body, his flesh, his blood. And he had to do some "errands" for Raven's father, Trigon. If Slade did these errands, Trigon would grant him his body back. But Trigon went back on his word, and did not give Slade what he required. So Slade helped the Titans defeat Trigon and the end of the world. Slade vanished again. And the Titans have not seen him—

"Robin!" StarFire said.

"What?" Robin replied.

"You have done the zoning out again," StarFire told him getting close to his body. "I said that's what I was thinking about when I got that feeling."

"Do you think he's still dead?" Robin asked her.

StarFire looked at him, then appeared sad, scared and thoughtful.

"Do you?" Robin said.

"I'd like not to think he's back. But I have to say...once you are dead, you cannot usually come back alive again."

"But what if he found a way to defy wheat we know about life and death..."

"Robin..."

"He's done it before..." Robin continued.

"Robin..."

"Remember when Terra pushed him into the lava..?"

"_Robin_..." said April who had just come up the stairs.

"He survived that! He came back then..." Robin continued ranting.

"_ROBIN_..."

"He did the _unthinkable_—What no one expecte—

"Robin! Your sock's untied," April pointed out.

Robin's head jerked downward to look at his socks, then he looked back up at April in confusion. "My socks don't tie."

"Neither do anyone else's. Thanks, now that I have your attention, your fiancé wants to say something to you."

"You do? Why didn't you get my attention?" Robin said turning to StarFire.

"She tried. But you were busy ranting on whether the Titans were six or thirty-five," April said.

"What?" Robin snorted in questioning. "I was ranting—

"Exactly."

"Now..._StarFire_, What did you want to say?" April said.

"I was going to ask you...If Slade has returned ...Should we go to him, or let him come to us?"

This question stumped Robin. If they went looking for him, and he really wasn't alive, then they would be wasting their time. But if they waited for him to come to them, a lot of people could be hurt.

"What do you think we should do?" Robin asked StarFire.

"I think we should wait to make a decision about Slade until we have the valid proof that he came back. When we have evidence to support our—your theory, we can decide."

Robin nodded. "I think that is the best option we have so far."

StarFire looked grim, then she walked away.

"I'm beginning to agree with the people who think you're paranoid," April said.

"Thanks for the support in my theory," Robin retorted.

"Very welcome," April said and went in her own direction.

* * *

**Disclaimer: The line about whether the Titans were six or thirty-whatever-the-number-was was taken from my good friend Feline Freak.**

**I had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter too. I just love the sock line about how no one else's socks tie, and I always try to put a little humor into stuff, even though I have no sense of humor...**

"**All the stars are out tonight it feels as though I might  
Make some sense out of this madness will it turn out right  
Who's to say where the wind will blow**

**Time will tell us if we're out of answers when it stops  
Climb back down to the beginning  
Take it from the top  
Who's to say where the wind will blow**

**What happens when all your dreams are lying on the ground  
Do you pick up the pieces all around  
And if the world should fall apart hold on to what you know  
Take your chances turn around and go**

**All the leaves are turning and the sky fades to gray  
Strange our life coincides with the seasons of today  
Who's to say where the wind will blow**

**What happens when everything is lying on the ground  
Do you pick up the pieces all around**

**And if the world should fall apart hold on to what you know  
Take your chances turn around and go**

**Carry on you say  
Bring the best of today  
All I see is struggling on the way**

**Maybe when the sun crashes through the gray  
I can find the strength to make it through the day  
Through the day**

**What happens when all your dreams are lying on the ground  
Do you pick up the pieces all around**

**And if the world should fall apart hold on to what you know  
Take your chances turn around and go  
Take your chances turn around and go."**

**-Lifehouse "Chapter One"  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: **

April wandered into the kitchen for an evening snack. She opened the refrigerator and considered her choices: A jar of pickle juice, tofu, leftover cake, orange marmalade, a large container of mustard, and peanut butter.

"Excellent. A peanut-butter and orange marmalade sandwich," April said to herself taking a knife from a drawer and a plate from a cabinet. "I think I'll convince Robin to go grocery shopping," April mused.

She cracked a smile as an image of Robin pushing a shopping cart down the Betty Crocker isle at the local Price Chopper popped into her head. Shaking her head of ridiculous thoughts, April marched into the living room to watch television.

XXXX

Robin lay stretched across the couch, asleep. StarFire's head rested on his chest, she was also asleep.

StarFire's right hand was laying on Robin's left shoulder.

"Jesus, and I thought Robin took up a lot of space by _himself_," April said walking up behind the sleeping Titans.

Robin muttered something in his sleep, which sounded a lot like "Holy toxic waste dump Batman, we're fighting mutant cornbread fishing poles!"

April snorted in amusement at his comment. "Crazy memories of the past," she said noticing the remote in Robin's hand. She set her plate down on the coffee table and crept over to Robin.

April pried Robin's fingers open and he jerked awake with,

"NO! Not the potato pancakes!"

"Go back to sleep, Bird," April said turning on the television.

As if he was a robot, Robin fell back into his sleeping position and began to snore quietly.

April rolled her eyes and turned down the volume.

StarFire stirred next to April. StarFire yawned and stretched and smiled at April.

April did not return the smile.

"Robin woke up a couple of minutes ago," April told StarFire while staring at the television.

StarFire nodded and gently shook Robin. "Robin..." StarFire whisperer. "_Robin_..." StarFire said again in Robin's ear.

Robin did not move.

"Allow me," April said.

StarFire backed away from Robin to give April some space.

April put her mouth to Robin's ear...

"ROBIN! WAKE UP!" April yelled.

Robin jumped and fell off the couch.

"You're welcome," April said returning to watching the television.

Robin rubbed the back of his head. "What?" he asked sourly.

"We need to do the wedding plans," StarFire replied.

"Oh. Right."

"I'll go get some of the paper and meet you in the conference room," StarFire said and left the room.

"Thank you for yelling in my ear," Robin said once StarFire was out of earshot.

"No problem. Did you know you snore?"

"No."

"And talk in your sleep?"

"Really?"

"You used to work for Batman?"

Robin did not answer right away.

"Did you?" April asked again, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"That's cool."

"Yeah, it was cool... When I was fourteen."

"What happened between you two? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No! I don't want to talk about it!" Robin said angrily. "And if I did want to talk about it, I would talk about it with StarFire."

"Chill out, dude. It was a simple question," April said with a glare.

Robin stormed out of the room.

April rolled her eyes and stretched out of the couch, still warm from Robin's body heat.

XXXX

"Okay. First we should talk about who is going to receive the invite," StarFire said once Robin sat down beside her.

"The Titans."

"Okay...so that would be four people."

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no."

"What?"

"Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven...April, Speedy, Aqualad, Bumble Bee, Hot Spot, Wildebeast, Mas and Menos," Robin corrected.

"Right. So that is...eleven people."

"Yes."

"Anyone else?"

"Not Larry, if that is what you mean."

StarFire giggled. "No. That is not what I had meant. How about Bat—

"No."

StarFire sighed. "Fine."

"Now, who do you want to invite?"

"I'm guessing Batman is out of the question."

"_Yes_."

"Okay, Galfore, the man you met at my almost betrothal."  
"Who Beast Boy called your nanny?"

"Yes. Him. No one else."

"We are going to have a small wedding—wait, what about your sister?"

StarFire gave Robin a glare which answered his question, which he should have known.

"I guess not. Okay, thirteen people."

"Are we going to have the tuxedo rental, or are we going to buy it?"

"Buy it."

"Are you doing the _seriousness_?" StarFire asked.

"You _did _offer that option."

"I know I did. But I did not actually think you would choose that option."

"I have that kind of money."

"I noticed when you bought this ring!" StarFire said shoving the ring in front of Robin's face.

Robin laughed and gently pushed StarFire's hand back down to the table. "If you really want, I'll rent it."

"It is okay. I am just worrying about the money."

"Don't worry. The whole wedding thing shouldn't cost more than the ring itself."

"Yes. Robin...the wedding will. We have to pick out the rings, catering, the spot to have the wedding, the priest—

"I've already looked into that stuff."

"Really?"

"Yes. How does having the wedding _and _reception on the roof sound. It will save money, and the view is nice."

StarFire nodded her approval. "Go on."

"I have not looked into the decorations but I know a good priest who has agreed to do the ceremony for free."

"How did you manage that?" StarFire inquired.

"I saved his life when I was working for—Uh, let's just say that he owes me one," Robin said quickly.

"Okay."

"Catering...I haven't picked out a place yet, but how does beef, chicken, salmon or broccoli quiche, (as a vegetarian option), sound?"

"It sounds very good. But when did you do all of these arrangements?"

"Before I proposed to you," Robin said with a large grin.

"Well, it is getting late. I am going to sleep. We can figure out the appetizers, seating arrangements, invitation designs...another time."

"Okay."

"Oh, Robin...by the way. Tomorrow, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven and I are going to the mall of shopping for dinner and one of the movies. Would you wish to come along?"

"I can't. I'm sorry. I don't want to be a party pooper, but I have work to do."

"Okay. I was just asking."

"Wait, what is April doing?"

"I have not asked her the question yet."

"Then go do that."

StarFire gave him an annoyed look, then walked away.

Robin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

XXXX

"Hello, April... Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy and I are going out for dinner tomorrow night. Do you wish to come along?"

"What is Robin doing?"

"Staying in his room, I would guess. That is where he normally is when he has work to do."

"We'll see how I feel tomorrow," April said taking a bite from her still only half-finished sandwich.

"Pleasant schlorvaks!" StarFire said with a wave.

April expressed only a blank look.

"Good night," StarFire translated and left the room.

A yawn escaped April's mouth and she checked her watch. "Crap. It is late."

April too, got up. She turned off the television and shut off the lights, closing the room in darkness.

* * *

**Wow, this is the third or forth chapter today I've typed and posted. I'm proud of myself. (Pats self on back). The story really starts next chapter. Next chapter, is where the excitement begins.**

"**Oh, this is the start of something good  
Don't you agree?  
I haven't felt like this in so many moons  
You know what I mean?  
And we can build through this destruction  
As we are standing on our feet  
**

**So, since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you  
You to stick around  
I'll see you everyday  
But you have to follow through  
**

**You have to follow through  
These reeling emotions they just keep me alive  
They keep me in tune  
Oh, look what I'm holding here in my fire  
This is for you  
Am I too obvious to preach it?  
You're so hypnotic on my heart  
**

**So, since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you  
You to stick around  
I'll see you everyday  
But you have to follow through**

**You have to follow through  
**

**The words you say to me are unlike anything  
That's ever been said  
And what you do to me is unlike anything  
That's ever been  
**

**Am I too obvious to preach it?  
You're so hypnotic on my heart  
**

**So, since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you  
(For) you to stick around  
I'll see you everyday  
But you'll have to follow through  
**

**With every word you say  
An I, all I really want is you **

**(For) you to stick around  
I'll see everyday  
But you have to follow through  
You have to follow through  
You're gonna have to follow  
Oh, this is the start of something good  
Don't you agree?"**

**-Gavin DeGraw "Follow Through"  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Weeeeeeeeeee! Exciting chapter...sort of...**

**Chapter 10:**

"Robin! Wake up!"

Robin stirred in his bed.

"Robin, this is no time for the beauty sleep!"

Robin stirred some more.

"Robin! The city is in trouble!"

Robin was fully awake now. "What happened? What's happening?"

"The power plant outside of the city!" Starfire said.

"What about it?" Robin inquired.

"It is experiencing one of the meltdowns."

Robin was on his feet within a second. "How long ago did this happen?"

"About ten minutes ago."

"The city is asleep, they have no idea... The don't know what's just happened."

"Robin, we must hurry," Starfire said.

"I know, there isn't much time." Robin got dressed, and did not care if Starfire was watching him or not.

Starfire handed him his shirt, which he slipped over his bare chest.

"Thanks," Robin said, quickly buttoning one of the yellow buttons on the right side of his shirt.

Starfire dug his pants out from a drawer and chucked them at Robin.

Robin caught them and slipped them on over his boxers. He then grabbed his belt and clipped it around his waist.

Robin was out of the bathroom within a period of two minutes.

"The others are waiting downstairs."

"We have less than forty-five minutes before that radiation reaches the city," Robin said grabbing some keys, a suit and a helmet. Robin slipped on the suit, then the helmet over the suit. "You have your own suit, right?" Robin asked zipping up the suit.

"The radiation-proof one? Yes, I do believe so," Starfire replied.

"Put it on!"

"I am not affected—

"I don't care!" Robin said. "I don't want to lose you!"

"Robin—

"Just do it!"

Starfire did not protest anymore.

"And tell the others to put on their own suits."

"They are already wearing them."

"Good. April as well?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Go give April this—never mind. She can ride in Cyborg's car."

"You are riding the bike that is motorized?"

"Correct."

Starfire hurried out of the room and Robin was close behind.

"Let's go," Robin announced when he saw the others.

"So...we're going _inside _of a _radioactive _power plant?" April asked looking terrified through the helmet of her radiation-proof suit.

"Yes! Now you are going to follow _every _order that I or one of the other Titans tell you to do...understood?" Robin informed April.

April gulped. "Yes, sir."

"We have approximately forty minutes to find the source of the meltdown and shut it down. Titans! Go!"

Robin ran out of the room. The sound of the R-Cycle could be heard faintly, and then it faded as he sped from the garage, through the underground passage.

The others hopped in Cyborg's car and followed closely behind.

Robin sped towards the plant on his cycle. He was going as fast as his R-Cycle would allow. Even at that speed, it wold take him ten minutes to even reach the gate.

Robin braked hard. Barrier.

"Sorry, you can't go beyond here," a cop said.

"Cyborg's car stopped behind Robin.

"Yes, I can," Robin said pulling out a badge from a compartment on his motorcycle. "Robin or the Teen Titans. And I _order _you to get out of the way and let us through," Robin demanded motioning to his badge and the car behind him.

The cop nodded and moved out of the way.

Robin fired up his cycle and weaved his way around the wooded sawhorses wrapped in yellow and black tape.

Cyborg plowed right through them.

Robin skidded to a stop in front of the gate to the plant. "Locked," Robin said to the Titans, who stepped out of the car. "Obviously," he added.

"Dude, will I be able to morph in this?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes. It will change as you will. Took me a little longer to invent."

"You invented these?" April asked Robin amazed.

"Not important. Now stand back," Robin said. His hand went for his belt. "Shit."

"What?" Starfire inquired.

"My belt is on the inside," Robin answered unzipping his suit. He quickly unclipped his belt and zipped the zipper back up again.

"That was dangerous," April said watching Robin put the belt around his waist.

"I know. Now...stand back," he told April again.

April backed up as Robin took a disc from his belt and chucked it at the gate.

"Cover your heads and duck!" Robin said as he ran to where the other Titans were standing.

Everyone did as Robin said just as the disc exploded.

Bits of iron flew everywhere as the gate was blown apart. When the smoke cleared, Robin took the lead once again.

"Okay, we have about twenty minutes to shut this thing down. It's too risky to split up individually, so we'll go in pairs. Starfire and I will go to the central operating center. Raven and April go to the west reactor, Cyborg and Beast Boy, go to the east reactor."

April and Raven looked for a sign, found one and followed ins markers.

"I'm wondering why the plant would be running during the night," Robin said to Starfire while sweeping his gave for the door to the control room.

"There it is!" Starfire said pointing to a door on the opposite side of the room—a floor below them.

This part on the plat was like the inside of a large battle ship. Stairwells running throughout the center with thin catwalks creeping along the sides.

Robin took a leap down a stairway, jumping the stairs two at a time with Starfire right behind him. "Doesn't this plant generate enough electricity during the day so people don't have to work the night shift?" Robin asked heading down another pathway.

"This plant _does _generate enough of the electricity. No one is here. All the lights have been switched off. The plant was shut down at one o' clock in the morning.," Starfire said.

"How do you know that?" Robin inquired.

"It says so on that door," Starfire answered motioning to the door to the central control unit. "It ways the first shift begins at five-thirty AM, and the last shift ends at one AM."

"Right. Then how could there be a melt down at three o' clock in the morning if the system was shut down two hours ago."

"Maybe it wasn't shut down properly...or someone forgot to shut it down," Starfire suggested.

"Highly unlikely," Robin said trying the door which was obviously locked. "I think at this plant, or any as a matter of fact, they check the whole thing multiple times with a bunch of people before the leave the premises. I doubt all of the people who check this place would have missed something like that."

"Okay, I will go along with that," Starfire agreed.

Robin pulled a tiny crow bar from his belt and wedged it between the door frame and the door.

"Robin, why don't you just—

"Because it will blow the catwalks to bits," Robin finished wrenching the door open. He stuck the crowbar back in his belt and kicked the door down. Robin heard Starfire flick a switch.

"Power is out in here," Starfire said.

Robin pulled a flashlight from his belt then handed it to Starfire. "I would think a power plant would have a generator..." Robin said grabbing a flashlight for himself.

"You brought two of the lights that flash?" Starfire asked turning her flashlight on.

"Three, and extra batteries. Always be prepared. Always bring extras. Be prepared to stay overnight." Robin said turning his flashlight on and noticing a confused look from Starfire. "Never mind."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Look for anything out of the ordinary. Something that doesn't look like it should be turned on or off..."

"Okay, but Robin?" Starfire said.

"Yes?"

"If the power is out — why are the lights of the switches on?"

Robin froze and looked around to where Starfire was standing. She was right. The lights for the switches and the levers and buttons were on.

"Generator of their own?" Robin said with a shrug.

"Yo, Robin?" Cyborg's voice came through to Robin through a microphone.

Starfire looked at Robin then swept her flashlight on a control panel. She was listening to the conversation.

"It's okay...I don't care if you listen to what we're saying. It's probably important. And besides...you _are _a Titan. Just concentrate on what you're doing. We have like...fifteen minutes," Robin told her.

Starfire nodded then switched on her own microphone.

"Go, Cyborg," Robin said.

"This is way creepy," Cyborg said.

"What is?" Robin asked.

"Beast Boy and I are in the West Cooling Tower..."

"Go on," Robin said looking at some switches.

"The power is out down here..."

"Yes, up here too. What's so creepy about that?"

"The turbines are running, so are the generators..."

"And the cooling systems?"

"Fully functional."

"Wow. That _is _creepy," April's voice said into his ear.

Robin ignored her. "Then if the cooling systems are functional, then there shouldn't have been a meltdown. And If there is a meltdown–the cooling systems shut down because they aren't cooling the reactors fast enough. The reactors then overheat – which causes the meltdown. _And _if the power is off...that means _everything _should have shut down. This is not making any sense."

"The same thing is happening in the East Cooling Tower," April said.

"The lights are off in the control room, but the switches are fully lit," Starfire said.

Robin looked under a control panel. "Okay. If we see anything we'll page you. Robin out."

"Robin, this switch is in the 'off' direction. I do believe that this is supposed to be on."

"Which switch is is?" Robin said looking closer at something underneath a panel.

"It says 'electrical system."

"Flip it."

Robin heard a click.

"Nothing happened," Starfire said.

"I noticed. I'll ask Cyborg and Raven," Robin said looking at some wires. Robin paged Cyborg and Raven.

"Find anything?" Raven asked through her mike.

"Starfire did. A switch that should have been on and was off. Did any lights go on down there?"

"Nope," Raven and Cyborg said at the same time.

"So that makes me even more confused. We have ten minutes. Let's hurry this search up a little bit. And don't switch off your mikes this time."

Robin ran his fingers along a crack underneath a different panel. Nothing. Bump. A large bump. "Wait a second..." he whispered to himself and dove underneath to look at it. Shining his flashlight up into the crack, he saw what his fingers had run across.

A circular chip was attached to various wired. It had an oddly familiar "S" on its front. A very familiar insignia. Robin saw another one just like it, except this chip was slightly larger and was attached to wires _and _the control panel.

Robin worked his finger on detaching the one only attached to the wires, then he noticed another one. This one was attached to the wall, right where the wired entered the wall. He worked on that clip instead. When it was detached, robin stuck in in his belt, then went back to the one he left.

This one was slightly harder to detach. The wires were tangled. After about two minutes, Robin had that one off of the wires.

"Robin – what are you doing under there? What have you locate—

The lights switched on.

"The lights just came on in the East Reactor," April said.

"In the west too," Beast Boy said.

"The control room is in complete illumination," Starfire said.

Static.

Robin pulled the final clip off of the wall and he could hear an engine slow down. Another engine slowed through his earphone. "Guys...What just happened down there? You all okay?" he asked frantically.

"Fine actually. My reading of radioactivity read zero. The reactors have shut down," Cyborg replied.

"Same here," Raven said. The reactors are quiet."

"Okay. Good to know. But...I found something," Robin said. "I'll show it to you when we get out of here."

"Okay...I'll check and see if the cooling system is working properly again," Cyborg said.

"Check the temperature...wait, I'll do that," Beast Boy said.

"You guys?" Robin repeated clearing his throat.

"Yes?" everyone answered at once.

"I'm afraid a little of the city is going to suffer from radiation poisoning."

No one spoke.

"How long did we go over the limit?" April asked quietly.

"About three or four minutes."

"How many are going to suffer – die?" Starfire questioned.

"Only some...just on the city outskirts. They'll probably just get sick for a while. Only the really weak will die...maybe a few babies, some elderly. Not a lot of people will die compared to what could have happened."

A sigh of relief escaped Starfire.

"That's good news," Beast Boy said. "The water temp is normal. But what did you—

"Outside," Robin interrupted. "See you in five minutes."

Robin shut off his microphone.

"Robin, what did you find?" Starfire inquired after switching off her own mike.

Robin pulled out a clip and showed it to Starfire, who gasped.

"Robin...it cannot be Slade. He has been gone and dead for a year and a half," she said after a minute.

"He came back when Terra threw him into the lava."

"Robin..."

"He is back..."

"Robin, I do believe that your sock is doing the untied."

"I'm not falling for that again."

"Thank you...now that I have your attention...maybe Terra stole some of his gadgets. She managed to steal some of your stuff when we thought she was on our side," Starfire pointed out.

"But Terra turned into _stone_ after she threw Slade into the volcano. She turned into stone stopping the volcano."

"A lot of things are possible. Slade doing the coming back is one of the options. But the likeliness is on the slim side."

"I guess you're right."

"But Robin? What if there are more of those clips?"

Robin nodded and looked quickly in cracks and crannies, and nooks where some gadgets could be located.

"Is there anything there?" Starfire said.

"Nothing," Robin said. "Now, let's go show the others what we found."

Robin was the first out the door and Starfire followed, switching off the light on her way out.

**Wow...the longest chapter yet...took me like a month to write. I hope you all enjoyed that chapter... This is basically where the story picks up the pace.  
Song: I hate using artists more than once.  
Oh, by the way, I made fun of my dad in this chapter. If you have a dad as a Boy Scout leader...i think you should find the line where i make fun of him easily.  
And another thing...and i you would please..could you take a peak at my account and look at some of my artwork. I have fanart there so i would greatly appreciate it if you left a comment. Penname: Slythergrl2004  
**

"**Life, its crazy how some things never work out,  
But I'm hoping that this time goes right,  
Cause I've tried so hard  
to keep you hanging on this life,  
But you always have to try and fight **

**_CHORUS_  
I'm scared and I'm running, and I'm running out of time.  
And all this time, always thought we were invinsible,**

**Time, it's gone so fast, all it took was one night back,  
to crash it all into the ground,  
Now two gone deep in a predictable last scene,  
I never thought it'd be you and me  
So what do we do?  
I tell you I'm afraid just like you,   
but by the time we're done thinking it's gone,  
So don't waste your life,  
just look at me and remember the time,  
the time my angel came to stay  
Take me away.**

**_CHORUS_  
I'm scared and I'm running, and I'm running out of time  
And all this time, I always thought we were invinsible,  
Now I'm scared that it's over, and will I have another time to live?**

**So that day, you drank away, all alone in some way,  
all thats left is me to blame,  
but I just want to wake up from this dream**

**Well I'm scared, and I'm running, and I'm running out of time  
And all this time, always thought we were invincible,  
Now I'm scared that it's over, it's over, and will I have another time to live?"**

**-Ryan Cabrera "Blind Sight"**


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you to all of my reviewers...and readers...yes yes, you too Neophyte...

A/N: I'm not going to include any of the episodes from this season in this story. Except for maybe a brief mention of the Doom Patrol and the Kid Flash...

**Chapter 11**

Robin and Starfire padded down a few flights of stairs and met up with the other Titans outside the gate, where the R-Cycle and T-Car were parked.

"So...what did you find?" Beast Boy asked eagerly when Robin and Starfire showed up.

Robin pulled a clip from his pocked and handed it to Beast Boy. Robin then pulled out another one and handed it to Cyborg.

Beast Boy looked at the clip, to Robin, back to the clip, and back to Robin.

"Do you think he's back?" Cyborg said.

April rolled her eyes. "Here we go _again_."

"Yes," Robin answered. "This is proof that he is still out there."

"It could have been Terra," Cyborg said.

"Not possible," Raven said. "She was turned into stone after using her earth powers to stop the volcano. You were there when she threw Slade into the lava, remember?"

"But what if Slade _is _back? What if he somehow managed to find a way to reverse the stone effect before we could. What if that whole 'accident' was just a plan. Another one of Slade's tricks. What if Terra is back and working for Slade again."

"Speaking of Terra...we have not put flowers on her grave this month," Beast Boy cut in.

"Enough with the 'what ifs', please," April complained.

"The likeliness of Slade coming back, finding a way to reverse the stone effect before us – me and my spell books - without any of us noticing is highly unlikely. But I guess there is always the chance that you are right. As much as I hate to admit it," Raven said.

"So two main suspects are Slade...and Terra, or someone who is, or was still working for Slade?" Beast Boy said.

"Yes. I'll take a look at the clips," Robin said. "I'll figure out _exactly _what they do and how they work."

"I'll help you," Cyborg offered.

"Not necessary," Robin said.

"Man, you need to sleep. I can recharge in ten minutes."

"No. I'll go back to sleep and look at them in the morning."

"Fine," Cyborg said.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow.

"Stubborn, spiky-haired punk," Cyborg muttered under his breath.

Robin ignored him. "All I know is that this radiation 'leak' as not an accident. Slade or someone working for Slade tampered with the system," Robin told them. "Titans, move out!"

The Titans moved towards Cyborg's car.

"Hey, Star?" Robin said quietly.

Starfire turned around and looked at Robin. "Yes, what do you require?"

Robin dangled some keys in front of Starfire's face. "Wanna go for a ride?" he asked mischievously with a wide grin.

Starfire knew Robin's eyes were flashing behind his mysterious mask. She laughed. "Sure."

"You guys go on ahead...Star's gonna ride with me."

Cyborg nodded and got behind the wheel. The engine of the car tuned over, started and then Cyborg's car vanished from sight.

Robin handed Starfire the spare helmet on the back of the cycle. He hopped on the bike, and then he helped Starfire onto the back seat.

Starfire wrapped her arms around Robin's waist as he revved up the engine.

Robin sped down the path, slaloming around the sawhorses that once formed a barrier. He could see the tail lights of Cyborg's car in the distance and they made a right. Robin turned the cycle to the left.

"Robin...where is the location we are going?"

"You'll see..." Robin said mysteriously, putting more gas to the engine so it could go uphill.

The view from the top of the mountain was amazing. The city and tower were to the south, the other mountains to the north, and the stars shining brightly above.

"Wow..." Starfire whispered breathlessly.

"I'm not done yet," Robin told her firing up the engine once more. He fed the engine more gas still, and his bike tore down the side of the mountainside.

"Robin! This is doing the suicide!" Starfire said.

"I know! I love the adrenaline rush! Now I want you to hold on tight," Robin called over his shoulder, over the rush of the wind..

"Robin...why?"

"Just do it!"

Starfire obediently squeezed his waist harder, and then she knew what Robin was planning when she saw the ridge.

"Robin, is this what the call 'Death Mountain'? Isn't this the trail belonging to the professional of the bikers?"

"Yep."

"Robin, are you sure about this?"

"Nope," Robin said and drove his bike over the edge.

XXXX

The cliff was a thirty-foot sheer drop onto a dirt road which traveled for fifteen miles before it met up with the highway.

"Now _this _is fun!" Robin exclaimed happily.

Starfire was holding onto his middle for dear life. "Do you know what you are going to do for the...the word you call landing?"

"If there is a landing."

"Don't say things like—

The bikes rear tire hit the dirt with a loud crunch. Robin rod on the one wheel for about ten feet before the front tire decided it wanted to come down to the ground.

When the tire hit the ground, Robin hit the front brake, put his right foot down and spun his motorcycle in a two-seventy clockwise.

"That was fun," Robin said taking off his motorcycle helmet. "Want to do it again?"

"No," Starfire said, and tackled Robin to the ground.

The two Titans wrestled until Starfire had Robin pinned.

Robin was laughing loudly. "Okay, okay, you win."

Starfire rolled off of him and stared at the stars.

"I wonder which one is Tamaran..." Robin heard Starfire whisper to herself.

Robin took off his protective suit and reattached his belt. "Don't worry...it's safe."

Starfire took off her protective suit as well, then sat on the dew-covered grass, Robin beside her. "It's so beautiful out here," she whispered.

Robin put an arm around her shoulder. "...Just like you..."

Robin kissed her. The full moon was large and made the kiss just right. "Yes," he said, "Just right."

* * *

**Phew. I typed the whole chapter today. Although, it's not really that long either. But sorry for not updating sooner. Even over vacation...I feel I should have updated...**

**"Stroker Ace was born to race.  
He had a mean streak ten feet wide.  
A son of a gun with a taste for fun and  
more than his share of pride.  
Take a dirt road curve with the devil's  
nerve and make a car dance a cross the mud.  
Hauling shine was his regular line 'till the  
track got in his blood.**

**Was a real hot shot and he bragged a lot but,  
man that fool could drive. 'Cause he loved the  
feel of the steering wheel and the girls with the  
bed-room eyes. And in a racing tide or a bar  
room fight old Stroker stole the show. A back  
stretch blazer, a real hell raiser and a race   
track Romeo.**

**Mama lock your daughters up  
that wild bunch is back in town  
And them little girls get frisky  
when they hear that race car sound  
They're bringin' out the yellow flag,  
somebody's brakes have failed  
There's an oil slick on the inside  
and a wreck along the rail  
You better stand on it, Stroker,  
cause a bandit's on your tail.**

**It's a downright joy for a country boy  
When he hears them engines moan  
But you gotta hang tough and it gets real rough  
When you're out there on your own  
Cause they'll push you around, they'll knock you down   
They'll shove ya up against the wall  
And you always know when an engine blows  
That a man can't win 'em all  
You could push that car  
just a little too far any Sunday afternoon  
And if you break your neck  
in some damn fool's wreck they'd forget about you soon  
But old Stroker Ace was born to race  
and it's worth all the trying  
Just to drink champagne in the Victory Lane  
and to hear that concrete whine**

**Stroker get your dander up  
this ain't no time to lag  
You've got to make a lap up  
if you want to take that checkered flag  
Number ten is closin' in to even up the score  
It's time to wave bye-bye and put the pedal on the floor  
You better stand on it Stroker  
cause you're blowin' off their doors.**

**Blow their doors off, Stroker. Stand on it, Son. Ah, you good lookin' devil, you."**

-**Charlie Daniels Band "Stroker's Theme"**


	12. Chapter 12

To my friends, reviewers and readers:

I'm dropping by this "chapter", if you will, to say that I am discontinuing this story. I have had numerous complaints of April being a Mary Sue—and I completely agree. It's far too complicated to change and I have much too much to do in my free time to go back and change. For example, I am in the process of writing an original novel, featuring an original character who originated from the chapter I have stopped at (chapter 12). I thank you all for all of your support in this section of Fanfiction. However, feel free to drop by my other stories and my Deviantart: slythergrl2004 dot deviantart dot com.

Best wishes to all,

Slythergrl2004

If this is spam, feel free to delete this chapter


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